Tom Saintfiet says Mali must be brave to see off Senegal in AFCON quarter-final clash

The Eagles secured their place in the knockout rounds despite not winning a game in the group stage.

Saintfiet's side started their AFCON campaign with a 1-1 draw with Zambia before holding tournament hosts and group winners Morocco to a 1-1 stalemate.

They then drew 0-0 with Comoros to set up a last 16 tie with Tunisia, where they emerged from a 1-1 draw to win 3-2 on penalties.

Senegal, conversely, eased past Botswana and Benin, alongside a 1-1 draw with DR Congo, before cruising to a 3-1 last win over Sudan.

As he prepares his team to face Pape Thiaw's charges, a confident Saintfiet explained that his players are not afraid to go head-to-head with their fellow west Africans.

He said on Flash Score: "Senegal is one of the biggest teams on the continent. They have been at the highest level for years and are very stable, with great individual quality and strong team cohesion.

"In 2025, they have only lost once, against Brazil. They beat England and drew with Ireland, very good results for an African team. They are the favourites and we are the outsiders, and we accept that.

"But we have already shown against Morocco and Tunisia that we are not afraid. We also have good players. Our only undoing is not scoring as many goals as we would like, but we are very disciplined when we don't have the ball."

The Mali coach added; "Our plan is ready for Senegal. We have a lot of respect for them and we will do everything possible to stay in this competition until the end."